We Pretend It's Alright

Chapter 13

The Beginning

We Pretend It's Alright

"It's time."

Anakin looked up at the sound of Jinka's voice. She was standing in the open doorway of the small room were Anakin was currently sitting, his hands and ankles cuffed and six clones guarding him. For the past three hours he had sat here, waiting. Three of the longest hours he had ever faced. With nothing to distract him, Anakin had found himself thinking about everything that could go wrong, everything that would go wrong.

Two clones grabbed him by his arms and pulled him up to his feet, shoving him forward to get him moving.

"Now be prepared, there are a lot of people here. Senators, reporters, witnesses, leaders. I want you to ignore them all, just like we discussed before. Focus solely on us and the Judge, alright?" Jinka said to him in a hushed tone as they began walking up from the depths of the senate building.

Anakin nodded, no words coming to him. He walked with head held up, looking directly in front of him and ignoring anything going around him as they moved back up through the building. It seemed like ages before they finally reached a large black door where they stopped.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The doors opened and Anakin was immediately overwhelmed by the noise and flashed that meat his arrival. He began to walk into the enormous room, ignoring the few thousand or so people all screaming and yelling. Jinka lead him down the long aisle towards a platform in the center of the room. Helgo and Padme stood on a platform to his left, both watching him approach. Padme caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile.

He tried to return the smile, but found himself unable to make his face go through the motions. Helgo then caught his eye and gave him a searching look. Anakin nodded to him, trying to indicate that he was alright. Anakin was then led forward further onto the small platform at the edge of the floor. He stood rigidly upon it as the platform zoomed into the center the room, black abyss below.

Above him, a Judge whom Anakin did not know stood up, walking to the front of his perch. He cleared his throat as the room quieted.

"Anakin Skywalker, you stand accused of the murders of Jedi Master Kit Fisto, Jedi Master Agen Kolar, Jedi Master Saesee Tiin, and Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. You are also charged with assault and attempted murder of Jedi Master Mace Windu. How does the defendant plead?"

The room, full of thousands, was completely silent. All held their breath as they awaited the man they had already decided guilty to respond.

Anakin around him, at the delegation of Senators that would decide his fate, at the repowers waiting for his words, at Padme, who looked back at him and nodded encouragingly. He looked back up at the Chancellor, his face set.

"Not guilty."

The hall erupted into noise.

The Judge called for order once again and eventually the crowd's murmuring died down, though cameras still flashed from the section where reporters sat.

"Let the record show that the defendant, Anakin Skywalker, has pleaded not guilty." The Judge stated, still looking down at Anakin. "Due to the nature of this trial, in an attempt to speed things along, we shall hear both sides opening statements today. The trial will resume in 30 minutes with the prosecution's opening statement. Court dismissed."

Anakin felt the platform move and he was taken back to the floor. After being led off the platform, he was taken over to the defense's standings, where Padme and Helgo quickly led him out of the chamber through a side door, still escorted by clones. Once he was cuffed into a seat in the discussion room, the clones left to wait outside. Padme instantly hugged Anakin, whispering in his ear, "That was great Ani, you did amazing."

"I didn't do much." He said, returning her smile.

"Indeed, now comes the hard part." Helgo agreed, looking up the notes he had briefly been reviewing. "The most important thing for you to remember is not to get emotional. They will say things trying to get you to react, that's what they want. Don't let them get to you."

"I know." Anakin said, looking up at Padme with a solemn expression on his face.

The next half hour seemed to drag for the longest time. Padme sat beside Anakin with her hand on his shoulder as both waited, eyes downcast. Finally the time came, and the clones reentered the room to escort Anakin and the rest back to the main chamber. As they reentered the room, they were once again meet with shouts, both cheering and booing them. Anakin kept his head looking forward and once again ignored it all. When they reached the moment where he would split from Padme and the rest of the defense, they stopped for a second, just long enough for them to share a reassuring look and for her to give his arm a little squeeze.

"See you soon." She murmured, before he was led back to the platform that brought him to the center of the floor.

Anakin watched the prosecution file in, all of them avoiding his gaze except for Reginald Fornium, who stared right back, a smile on his cool face.

"Order!" The Judge commanded a minute or so later, and the court room settled down, eager for the trial to get underway. "We will now hear the prosecution's opening remarks."

All eyes turned to Fornium as he get to his feet, nodding to the Judge. Walking out to the platform in front of him, he zoomed out into the floor, his face appearing on large screens behind him and his voice booming throughout the room.

"My fellow citizens of the Republic, today we bear witness to one of the most treacherous acts that has ever been committed in the history of this great Republic. Our very own Chancellor was murdered right in front of us, in his very own office. A beloved leader and man, Chancellor Palpatine was not only one of, if not the best, leader this Republic has ever seen. This man was a hero, a symbol of hope for the galaxy. But that symbol was destroyed, and more so, this great man was destroyed by the treasonous actions of another, a man who the late Chancellor considered to be almost a son to him as many who were close to him know. A man who lied to and deceived the entire galaxy, who swore to bring peace and safety to the Republic."

"This man that I am referring to is of course, Ex-Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker, who stands before us today claiming that he is not indeed responsible for these acts that we know he has committed. He denies killing the Chancellor, he denies killing the three Jedi masters that were tragically murdered at the same time. He denies attempting the murder Jedi Master Mace Windu, who still lays on the brink of death at this very moment. He denies all of this, all these crimes we have evidence of him committing. He believes the public too stupid to see the truth. He believes that his efforts in the war will convince us he isn't a bad person, that he didn't do this. He believes that we won't see past every lie he tries to pass off as true."

"Unlike Mr. Skywalker, I have faith in the good people of the Republic. I know that we will not let these heinous crimes go unpunished and ignored. We are a vigilant and strong people who know that these actions will have grave consequences. The Republic will avenge the death of its fallen leader, and show the galaxy that we are still strong. We will show them that this is not acceptable, and that those who believe they are above the law find are not. Anakin Skywalker murdered Chancellor Palpatine and many others, and for that he will pay."

Cheers erupted throughout the room as people jumped to their feet, clapping and screaming in support of Fornium's words. The Judge yelled for order, fruitlessly for a minute or so before the crowd finally settled back down.

"Your Honor, I move for the court to rest for the day, due to the high emotions of the crowd." Fornium said, his voice drowning out the crowd.

"Objection!" Helgo said, standing up. "This request is nonsensical and most unusual."

"Overruled." The Judge said as the last few cries of "For the Republic" and "Murderer" died out. "This case is most unusual, Mr. Gehlert. The court will rest for today and will resume at nine o'clock tomorrow morning with the Defense's opening remarks. Court dismissed."

Anakin looked around to see Helgo and Jinka exchange uneasy looks as his platform began to move back to the edge of the floor.

Guards surrounded Anakin yet again, and they began the deafening journey back out of the court room. Anakin kept his head forward, ignoring the yells and jeers. It wasn't till he was almost at the door that something caught his attention.

"Ahsoka!" He called out, staring up into the stands up at her in disbelief.

He hadn't seen her in over a year, and he almost didn't believe his eyes in over a year. He stared at her as he was shoved forward. He watched as she gave a small wave, looking down at him with a sad smile.

He opened his mouth to call out again, but before he was able to, the guard behind him shoved him roughly out of the room, the huge doors slamming automatically behind him.

"I need to get back in there." He said, turning to face the doors and they continued to push him forward. "Take me back in there!"

The guard behind him struck him with the butt of his blaster and shoved him forward again.

We Pretend It's Alright

"What's wrong?" Padme asked quietly as they gathered up their belongings.

"Now, all everyone will walk away with is the prosecutor's message. Headlines for the next day will be full of what a horrible person Anakin is, and it will resonate with the people. It will make convincing them of the opposite harder." Jinka responded in a low voice, placing a folder in her bag. "It was a gift to the prosecution."

Padme looked down, a heightened sense of unease about her. She needed to go see Anakin. Maybe that would ease her nerves.

oOo

"Anakin." Padme said softly as she entered the bare room Anakin was in, forcing a smile on her face. He was sitting at the table in the center of the room, his eyes closed and his hands folded on the table.

As soon as he heard her voice, he opened his eyes but he did not look over to her, continuing to stare down at his hands.

"Why didn't you tell me she was back?" He said quietly.

Padme didn't respond right away. She took her time, walking over and moving her chair to be next to him. She sat down and placed her hand on his.

"I meant to. But it never seemed the right time. I was worried about, well, how you might react." Padme admitted, watching Anakin carefully. "We decided it was best to wait."

"We?" He asked, finally looking at her, his brow furled.

"Ahsoka and I." Padme admitted.

Anakin looked away, now looking down at his hands, Padme's still resting there. "She didn't want to see me?"

"It wasn't that Ani, trust me. She didn't want to add anything else to the list of things you are dealing with."

Anakin was silent again for a minute. "How long has she been here?" He finally asked.

"About a week." Padme answered. "She, well, she's been through a lot since she left." Padme said carefully.

"How is she alright?" Anakin asked stiffly. He didn't know what to say. He was certainly hurt that she hadn't wanted him to know she was back, but still, it was her who had called out to him today.

"Like I said, she didn't exactly have an easy time this past year. She's had to do a lot of growing up." Padme squeezed his hand. "But still, she came back, for you and for me. Ahsoka has been a great help, and it's certainly nice to have someone around."

Anakin turned his head to look at her, his eyes full of remorse. "I'm so sorry, Padme. I should be there for you, to take care of you. I know how hard you are working, how exhausted you must be."

"Anakin Skywalker, if you apologize to me one more time-"

"I know, I know." Anakin smiled sadly, looking down at their entwined hands. "Why did she come back?" He asked quietly.

"Rex reached out to her. I don't know what he said, but whatever it was, it certainly worked."

Anakin nodded. "Can, can I see her?"

"I can try Ani, but I don't know if I'll be able to." Padme said uncertainly. "Maybe it would be better to wait until after-"

"Padme." Anakin interrupted, looking up at her." I might not have an after."

"Don't talk that way." Padme said with a frown, her brow furled. "I know you have no faith in the Republic, but I do!"

"I'm sorry if I upset you." Anakin said, looking down again. "I am just trying to be realistic. "

After a moment of silence, Padme said quietly, "I'll try to get her in Anakin. I'll try."

"Thank you." Anakin said, his eyes still downcast.

"I'd better go meet with Helgo and Jinka, I'll be back tonight." Padme stood and Anakin nodded, reluctantly letting go of her hand. He watched as she walked out of the room, wishing more than anything that he could go with her.

We Pretend It's Alright

"Ahsoka."

Ahsoka looked behind her to see Obi Wan walking towards her, a small smile on his face.

"Master Obi Wan." Ahsoka greeted him as he approached. "It's so good to see you."

"And I you," Obi Wan agreed. "Unfortunate that it has to be under these circumstances, but I am happy to see you regardless." He smiled at her and the two began to walk out of the Senate building together.

"I must say, I hardly expected to see you here." Obi Wan said as they walked out the front doors. "I was under the impression that we wouldn't see you back on Coruscant anytime soon."

"As was I." Ahsoka said with a half-smile. "When I heard what was happening, I had to come back for Anakin and Padme."

"You seem to be quite close with Senator Amidala."

"She has been a great friend to me over the past few years." Ahsoka replied. "She helped me when I needed it most and intend to do the same for her now."

Obi Wan nodded, remembering Padme's help in Ahsoka's trial. "She has such strength to be able to do what she is."

"I couldn't imagine her doing anything else." Ahsoka smiled.

Obi Wan chuckled. "Neither could I. I must ask, have you seen Anakin?'

"I- I haven't." Ahsoka admitted. "But from what Padme's told me, he isn't faring too well in his confinement. If he didn't have Padme to keep him together…"

"She does have that affect on him, doesn't she?" Obi Wan added with a small smile. "Anakin has been, well, rather resistant to speak to me. I believe he blames me for the situation he is in."

"Why do you think that?" Ahsoka asked, shocked. Padme hadn't mentioned anything about Anakin and Obi Wan that would her to think this.

"He has told me as much." Obi Wan answered. "And to an extent, he is not wrong."

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked, stopping in her paces and looking up at the older man's face.

Obi Wan stopped as well, looking back down at her, a sadness in his blue eyes. "When Anakin returned to the temple after what happened at the Senate Building, none of us knew what had happened. It seemed that Anakin had turned to the dark side, killed Jedi masters and the Chancellor and was returning to the temple to continue this war path. He contacted me just after Master Secura had called me to tell me what was going on. We set a trap from him, with me as the bait. I betrayed his trust, something he does not forgive easily."

"So that's he was captured." Ahsoka said slowly, looking at the ground as she mulled this over. "The Jedi set him up."

"You have to understand the situation we were in, we couldn't have known-"

"Yes, you could have." Ahsoka interrupted, looking back up with a quiet anger in her voice. "You could have talked to him, held him in the temple until you knew more. You could have helped him."

Obi Wan said nothing, unable to respond to this.

"You did the same thing to Anakin that you did to me." Ahsoka added. "You didn't help him at all, you expelled him from the Order and left his fate to a corrupt Republic. You make him look guilty by refusing to explain why he was expelled. Anakin saved the Republic, he saved the Jedi Order! And you expelled him."

"We were wrong." Obi Wan said, "The council made a mistake in expelling Anakin, just as they did with you. Hopefully they will soon realize that."

"You can't keep doing this." Ahsoka said with a shake of her head. "These mistakes are ruining people's lives, and reversing your decisions doesn't fix it."

"I know." Obi Wan said sadly.

The stood in silence for another moment, neither knowing how to proceed. Ahsoka understood the situation Obi Wan was in, but she couldn't help but notice how the Jedi continued to repeat their mistakes. The Order seemed even more corrupt now then when she had left a year ago.

"You should visit Master Plo." Obi Wan said finally. "He would love to see you."

"I will." Ahsoka promised with a nod. Just then she noticed Riyo coming out of the Senate doors. "Excuse me, Master." She said and stared to make her way over.

Obi Wan gave a small wave of goodbye, the sense of unease growing within him. He watched Ahsoka greet the young senator for a minute, before turning, pulling up the hood of his cloak, and beginning his long walk back to the temple.

We Pretend It's Alright

Padme sat on the balcony outside her sitting room, staring out at the lively city. That afternoon she had had lunch with Bail Organa and his wife Breha, who had recently become pregnant herself. After a few years of trying and finally resigning themselves to the fact that they would be unable to have a child, Breha had been surprised to discover that she had become pregnant, something the doctors had all but said would never happen. They kept the conversation light, expressing their excitement for their future children, Padme constantly suppressing her worries and focusing on a good outlook. Bail had returned to work after, but Padme had decided to take the afternoon off, leaving her substitute in training to take over for the afternoon. She and Breha instead went shopping, buying baby clothes and furniture, something Padme had all but forgotten to do. She and Breha had been friends for longer even than her and Bail, having met back when Padme was queen and Breha still a princess under her mother's rule. As two young women in very similar situations, they took to each other at once. Sure Bail had already told her, Padme confided in her friend about Anakin, and found great relief in being about to talk about it with someone who was concerned for her family's sake, not having any person interests to guide them.

She had returned to her apartment that night feeling some small sense of relief and began setting up the nursery. She wished to move back to Naboo for the twin's early years, but right now she needed to be here until everything was… worked out.

Now she sat in the cool night air. She wondered where Ahsoka was, having not seen her after the trial. She knew Ahsoka could take care of herself, but was slightly worried about the choices she may be making. More than once Ahsoka had come home the next morning smelling of booze amongst other things. She had realized Ahsoka wasn't coping as well as Padme had originally thought.

Padme finally retired, figuring that she would see Ahsoka at the trial the next morning.

We Pretend It's Alright

"Ever been here before?" Ahsoka asked and she returned to the table Riyo sat waiting at, two drinks in her hand. She handed one to Riyo and quickly downed her own, missing the shocked look on Riyo's face.

"Can't say I've been out to many cantinas like this." Riyo answered, looking around and taking a sip of her own drink as Ahsoka signaled for another. It was a rather nice place, dimly light with chandeliers and a circle bar in the middle of the establishment, but it was rare Riyo would go out to a cantina. They sat in a corner, away from prying eyes. "My job doesn't permit me much time off."

"Being a Senator sure is time consuming. " Ahsoka agreed, expecting another drink from a passing bartender with a nod of thanks. "Spending time with Padme has sure taught me that." And Anakin, she thought, taking a sip of third drink. She had grabbed one before Riyo had arrived, but wasn't concerned about it getting to her too quickly. A few months of drinking with Hondo's crew had helped with that.

"So, where have you been for the past year?" Riyo had to ask, her own curiosity getting the best of her. "After you left, I was convinced I would never see you again."

"I joined Hondo Ohnaka's crew." Ahsoka said causally, taking another sip of her drink. "Travelled around, did some jobs, made some friends." Lost more than a friend.

"Really?" Riyo asked surprised. "I never expected the life of a pirate would attract you."

"Well it didn't at first, but it was a chance for me to experience a world I never had before." Ahsoka explained. "I like to think I had a bit of a positive effect on them to. And of course there were somethings I refused to do, but they aren't as bad as everyone thinks."

"Hmm." Riyo took another sip of her drink.

They talked casually for the next two hours. Riyo noticed Ahsoka's subtle flirting and found herself playing along, but was a bit taken aback at how much Ahsoka had changed in the year since she had last seen her. Still, the woman she knew was still there and she found herself having a bit too much fun and perhaps a few too many drinks.

"I'll walk you home." Ahsoka said, grinning as she outstretched her arm to Riyo, who giggled, taking the torgruta's arm. Ahsoka paid their tab and the two left the cantina.

They arrived at Riyo's apartment laughing, recalling one of their first meetings.

"I had a really nice time tonight," Riyo said, smiling at Ahsoka's grinning face.

"It doesn't have to be over." Ahsoka said suggestively, still smiling.

Riyo paused, the smile falling from her face. " 'Soka, I'm.. is that what you think this is?"

The smile fell from Ahsoka's face too, a look of confusion replacing it. "Well I just assumed-"

"You assumed wrong." Riyo said rather sharply and Ahsoka took a step back, her brow narrowing.

"I'm sorry." She said roughly, turning and walking away.

"Ahsoka!" Riyo called after her, but the ex-Jedi didn't didn't stop walking.

We Pretend It's Alright

"My fellow citizens of the Republic, I stand before you today to share the story of a hero. Since the age of nine, Anakin Skywalker has been a noble servant of the Republic, a member of the Jedi Order sworn to do all in his power to uphold the principals of the Republic and to protect it. Anakin choose to dedicate his life to the Republic, and he has proven his conviction to its cause. For the past three years, he has been one of the Republic's top generals, leading us to countless victories against the Separatists. He has defended the Senate building from attack numerous times, saving many Senators' and civilian's lives. He had liberated planets, helped bring down one of the largest slave enterprises. But more important than any of this is a story that has not yet been shared. The story of how Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker, saved the Republic."

"Most here are under the impression the Anakin Skywalker murdered the Chancellor of the Republic five weeks ago. But what you do not know is that the man Anakin killed was the leader of the Sith, an organization that sought to destroy the Republic from the inside. Sheev Palpatine was a Sith Master who used his power and influence to gain control of Republic. He planned to destroy to Jedi Order and take absolute control of the galaxy. The only thing that stood in his way was the one man who he had believed would be his number one supporter."

"The Chancellor had taken a specific interest in Anakin Skywalker since he first arrived on Coruscant. Over the years, he grew to be a mentor to a young Anakin, attempting to influence his views of the world. When he revealed his true identity and intentions to Anakin the night of his death, he believed that Anakin would join him. However, that isn't what happened. Anakin returned to the Jedi Temple to inform them of what he had learned, continuing in his duty to protect the Republic. Four Jedi masters set out to arrest the Chancellor. Fearing that they might underestimate his power, Anakin followed after to help. His fears appeared to have come true when he entered the Chancellor's office to find all but Jedi Master Mace Windu had been murdered by Palpatine himself. Palpatine threw Windu out the window, and engaged Anakin in a duel that he lost."

"Anakin Skywalker's actions where entirely in self defense for not only himself but also in defense of the Republic. He sacrificed his safety and potentially his life to protect every citizen in the galaxy from an evil they would never see coming. Without his heroic actions, the galaxy as we know it would have been destroyed. It is my sincerest belief that the people of this Republic will reward this heroism, not punish it."

Helgo bowed his head in thanks and returned to table at which Padme and Jinka sat. the room was silent, no one quite sure what to make of this information. Finally, the Judge spoke.

"Is It true that you are accusing the late Chancellor of being a part of a… conspiracy to overthrow the Republic?" He asked, his voice booming throughout the silent hall.

"Yes, we are. We have gathered sufficient evidence to prove this. The truth will be known." Jinka replied calmly. "We ask to be allowed to show preliminary evidence at this time."

"Permission granted." The Judge said after a moment's hesitation, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Jinka stood and swiftly walked onto the defense's platform, a small remote in her hand.

"Citizens of the Republic, for the past month we have been searching through thousands of channels and comms to find video graphic proof of Sheev Palpatine's secret identity and his plans. The images you are about to see where found in Count Dooku's former home. The late leader of the Separatists, captured by Anakin Skywalker, was a known Sith lord and apprentice of a "Darth Sidious", an identity we have determined to be of Sheev Palpatine."

She pressed a bottom on the small remote and the lights all around the court dimmed as a large hologram rose in the center of the floor.

"Lord Tyrannous," The voice, deep and sinister, echoed throughout the room. "Inform General Grievous that the plans have been finalized." The short transmission ended there, but the hologram remained frozen, cloaked in a long black hood with its head bowed.

"This transmission was received by Dooku 12 standard hours before the Chancellor was captured two months ago by Count Dooku and General Grievous." Jinka announced.

At once, a murmur started up again throughout the crowd, people unable to contain themselves.

"Order!" The Judge bellowed, slamming his fist, and that hall fell silent again. "Ms. Gehlert, are you suggesting that the Chancellor planned his own kidnapping?"

"Yes."

An uproar went up again at her words.

"Order, Order!" The Judge yelled yet again. All around the room, people began to quiet again, looking at each other in surprise or glaring down at the defense.

Padme watched Anakin curiously from her seat at the defense table. He was standing stock-straight and facing forward, unmoving. He had made no reactions to anything said, a strategy they were trying out. He was dressed in a gray jump suit, standard prison uniform. His hair was now shoulder length and his robotic hand ungloved. His hands were folded behind his back and the metallic one glistened in the harsh lighting every time he flexed his fingers, which he did quite often. It was a tick for him, something he resorted to in stressful situations.

Padme had first noticed it several times when during the time they had spent together three years ago when he first assigned to protect her. When he had spoken of his dreams about his mother, on Tattooine, and on Geonosis. On their wedding day, before the service, she had found him on a dock outside the house, staring out into the waters in mediation and flexing his fingers. She asked him about it that night, lying in his arms under the stars. He had confessed that it was a bit of a coping mechanism, something to help him focus and take his mind off of bad thoughts.

Padme thought of that conversation now as she watched him, flexing his fingers and watching the debate unfolding, his life swinging in the balance. The position they had taken, by taking on Palpatine, was very risky and could be disastrous for them all should they fail.

For the next hour or so, Jinka continued to present evidence they had found. She showed the finger print match from the red lightsaber found in the office to Palpatine, another less clear holo recovered from Dooku's base (both had been recovered by Ventress for a bounty), and finally requested that the Court grant them access to the Palpatine's records, office, and private quarters.

After a fifteen minute recess, The Judge announced that an investigative team would look into these claims and their finding shared in one week, but did not grant the defense unrestricted access to Palpatine's office.

"How can we ensure that this investigation is truthful and that there will be no interference?" Jinka questioned. "I request that both the defense and prosecution are allowed to place one person on this task force to insure its honestly."

"Request approved, select a member of your teams to report to the Chancellor's office at nine tomorrow morning." He said, with a small nod. He really had no choice but to approve that, as it would raise criticism if he didn't, something Jinka knew. "Discussion on this issue will recommence in one week after this investigation. The court will rest for the day and reconvene tomorrow at noon with the prosecution's first witness."